tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-109377072024-03-06T22:01:22.443-06:00Seize the day -- the blog of writer Molly BlaisdellExplore the art and craft of writing with a healthy dose of inspiration for artists of all kinds.Molly/Cecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14754996366796005745noreply@blogger.comBlogger702125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10937707.post-82334093517348889612023-06-11T11:36:00.000-05:002023-06-11T11:36:12.530-05:00Summer Retreat<p>For several years, I've headed to the <a href="https://norbertinecommunity.org/">Santa Maria de la Vid Abby in Albuquerque, New Mexico</a>, to spend some time allowing my writing self to have the front seat. This is a wonderful place that feeds my soul. I find my inner hermit. I'm surrounded by like-minded writers and maybe an illustrator or two. The starkness of the landscape, the beautiful Sandias, and time away from a crowded life. </p><p>Build space into your life to breathe. Take time to just be you and not all the many labels that are attached to you. I let go of all that I want and focus on who I am.</p><p> Me.</p><p>I celebrate that I contradict myself. I celebrate that I am multitudes. Whether you are in a lull in life or in the midst of storms, I have found embracing the current moment to be so helpful on the journey to wherever. Get on the deck of the boat, grab the sails, and watch the water. The universe has a way of speaking to you. It speaks of feelings and futures. I hope you find a way to let go of the baggage, sweep out the cobwebs, and forgive all the wrongs that you've seen or experienced. Let the good light of hope soak into your bones. </p><p>Open up to love. It never fails. </p><p>A quote for your pocket. </p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Corinthians 13:12 <span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;">For now, we see only a reflection as in a mirror;</span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;">then we shall see face to face.</span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;">Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.</span></span></p><div><span style="font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, Segoe UI, Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, Noto Sans, sans-serif, Arial;"><span style="background-color: white;">A picture for your heart. </span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, Segoe UI, Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, Noto Sans, sans-serif, Arial;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, Segoe UI, Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, Noto Sans, sans-serif, Arial;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6JPXUFLYtnJkduoaJPco4KLJQgjPoweV6WyI0_vL0jSyv9LkjrtTGhTPS-rvsBoL0OjJ9Fphg-e1q0WPx-Vm81fLb65ZljFQRwkSifNTWlsuFau_l89e7Onmw-fniRKo9DmgruXVAxZxyuaV-6rde9UuDjv_zmZKoeWJFdl_NGLdKOLxMxWw/s445/Abbey.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="445" data-original-width="439" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6JPXUFLYtnJkduoaJPco4KLJQgjPoweV6WyI0_vL0jSyv9LkjrtTGhTPS-rvsBoL0OjJ9Fphg-e1q0WPx-Vm81fLb65ZljFQRwkSifNTWlsuFau_l89e7Onmw-fniRKo9DmgruXVAxZxyuaV-6rde9UuDjv_zmZKoeWJFdl_NGLdKOLxMxWw/s320/Abbey.png" width="316" /></a></div><br /><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Molly/Cecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14754996366796005745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10937707.post-47732497906657202192022-11-25T00:38:00.000-06:002022-11-25T00:38:00.205-06:00Thanksgiving<p> I am thankful for my creative life and all the gifts it brings. Shining stars surround me. I get to see new writers struggle and then find their way. It's a joy to see their phenomenal growth. It is an honor to plant seeds of creativity and tenacity everywhere I go. </p><p>My life is far from perfect (oh, the perniciousness of perfection!), but it is the life I have lived. Like most lives, scattered bits of debris from various life storms have left me a little broken, a little melancholy, and a little tired. I embrace reality and do the work of hope and turning over new leaves. </p><p>We can't control the rain. Some gardens are green from the rain. They have rich soil. Some gardens eke by with poor soil and droughts. There is beauty in both landscapes. I am simply grateful for the chance to grow my creative ideas. Yes, my patch is a bit shabby and overgrown with weeds, but I love it. I hope that you find joy in your own journey. </p><p>Live by these words from a fine poet,</p><p><a class="title" href="https://www.azquotes.com/quote/78119" style="background: 0px 0px rgb(255, 255, 255); color: #333333; display: inline-block; font-family: "Open Sans", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.1em; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px 1em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Finite to fail, but infinite to venture.</a> Emily Dickinson. </p>Molly/Cecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14754996366796005745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10937707.post-23093834118522976152022-08-27T00:00:00.003-05:002022-08-27T00:00:53.315-05:00Covid changed my life<p>Covid changed my life. It pushed me out of my comfort zone. It made me get real. I didn't make enough money for lattes for two years. My husband lost 1/3 of his income. We scraped along on. Credit cards became a thing again. We were broke. Again. Drastic measures were called for. </p><p>I have been a freelance writer for twenty years. I have written about 50 books for kids. I love writing books for kids. I love it down to my bones, and I'm good at it. Here's the deal for children's authors. It's sucky--no health insurance, sick days, no retirement, or reliable month-to-month income, and when there is income, it is a pittance. After 20 odd years, it is somewhat clear that I can't make enough money as a writer to face a pandemic followed by inflation. I got a job. I work for the International Ocean Discovery Program as a production editor now. I know a lot about tables. It's a whole art form. I think about accessibility (a lot).</p><p>During my Covid years, I wrote the best book ever. I'm proud of it, but guess what? It's been out thirty times, and no one has ever wanted to look at it. It didn't hit readers like WOW! It hit me like that, though. So this is the time in my life when I say I am proud of myself. I am proud of my hard work. I am proud of my willingness to pivot, try new things, reinvent myself, and launch into the great unknown. I'm still squeezing in a bit of writing here and there. Who knows what will fly out of this imagination?</p><p>I hope that you celebrate your amazingness this week. I hope that you do what you love. And if you can't right now, I hope you stop kicking yourself. You are paying the bills. Or you are trying. This makes you the hero of your own story. </p><p>A quote for your pocket: </p><p style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #212121; line-height: 1.6; margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.</i></span></p><p><cite style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #212121; display: block; text-align: right;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Martin Luther King, Jr.</span></span></cite></p><p><br /></p>Molly/Cecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14754996366796005745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10937707.post-70661389775973952492021-07-16T15:45:00.000-05:002021-07-16T15:45:30.708-05:00Small Things with Great Love<p>Hi, readers! I’m jumping in here today just to update you with what’s going on in my writing life. The journey to here has been epic and at the same time.</p><p>Currently you can find an excellent conversation with me and Janet Lee Carey about creative courage To be honest, we go on to just talk about all courage. If you want candid, open thoughts, this is the place for you: <a href="https://janetleecarey.com/dream-walks/creative-courage/" target="_blank">Dreamwalks: Creative Courage. </a></p><p>I have started sending my epic FOR THE LOVE GOD to agents Wish my bread to come back on every wave. </p><p>My alter ego, Cece Barlow, has been up to all kinds of mischief. I want to check out my newest work, please follow the link: <a href="http://amzn.com/B093MD6QP7" target="_blank">The Four Winds: Regalia of Power </a>. This YA fantasy serial will appeal to readers who love speculative fiction/historical mashups! Oh, and dragons, magic, ether, the Salt City, caravans, the Great Library of Constantinople, powerful magicians of Egypt...definitely not traditional Western fantasy. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC8KgKq30zYhnfUPn5pQNQa9oAa69x2Il8XqtAJlUPwOcwVgiv9vOPHaMJXoZINDoUVv5v0rVsIOaygIVoXT4hr146ts0dEFTJzB16NQdYYxi0kUh291uBRWn3TcGPzjtyV_fgIQ/s686/85473F61-C6B9-4D15-A561-338D943C43A0.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="686" data-original-width="446" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC8KgKq30zYhnfUPn5pQNQa9oAa69x2Il8XqtAJlUPwOcwVgiv9vOPHaMJXoZINDoUVv5v0rVsIOaygIVoXT4hr146ts0dEFTJzB16NQdYYxi0kUh291uBRWn3TcGPzjtyV_fgIQ/s320/85473F61-C6B9-4D15-A561-338D943C43A0.jpeg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; color: #101010; font-family: inherit; text-align: start;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">Last, I will leave a quote for your pocket. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; color: #101010; font-family: inherit; text-align: start;"><i>Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies.</i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p class="bq_fq_a" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; color: #101010; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px 0px 5px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Mother Teresa</span></p></div></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Molly/Cecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14754996366796005745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10937707.post-8195768620588051842021-01-17T21:44:00.001-06:002021-01-17T21:44:49.976-06:00How to Create Art in a Mad World<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi96nybpeqJLKZXT0oZyqj0CQEyNPd1uwxmr7lD7J1KzvIanXEsA5On2k1MPtarmQ-bQAYzrY8u2PiHQ1T7PLbKKB3LSvWTykKcThYUloZ-mjd5me0LQv5rVC0vwmgqfKcICExFnw/s768/FreshPaint-14-2015.09.05-04.44.34.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="768" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi96nybpeqJLKZXT0oZyqj0CQEyNPd1uwxmr7lD7J1KzvIanXEsA5On2k1MPtarmQ-bQAYzrY8u2PiHQ1T7PLbKKB3LSvWTykKcThYUloZ-mjd5me0LQv5rVC0vwmgqfKcICExFnw/s320/FreshPaint-14-2015.09.05-04.44.34.png" /></a></div><br />The world feels like it's being shattered like glass on concrete. Covid rages but selfishness abounds, so many refusing to stop its spread. Homegrown terrorists calling themselves patriots have stormed the White House. The current president represents the worst of us, duping half and thumbing his nose at the other half. Families are splintered in all kinds of directions. Blame games are played at every level of society and the idea of "everybody getting together and trying to love one another, right now," a popular anthem performed the year I was born by a folk band called the Kingston Trio, seems impossibly naive. How do you stabilize yourself in such a world to create art? <p></p><p>The thing is that the naive anthem mention above has carved into my creative psyche through the years. The only way to move forward is to cast aside fear. Personally, I've never lived in a more fearful time. All you have to do is whisper a vague possibility of an unclear threat to send people skittering in every direction. The grocery store was stripped of items again and no wondering is necessary, many whisper that next week will lead to blood running on the streets of "the greatest country on God's green Earth." Picking up your pen and writing your words this week will be hard. Playing your music, hard. Creating your art, hard. But choosing your inherent ability to create is siding with the angels of this world. Turn off the discordant voices and be a voice of peace. Make a stand against fear. </p><p>As fear sounds off every mountain, stirring up hate, you have the opportunity to shake off the madness. Use your art to stamp on fear. Dance until you can't breathe anymore. Slip through the portal into your other world and take down those baddies however you see fit. Isekai your way to something better. Art is the chance to be reborn. Let yourself feel the creative forces of the universe and watch the paltry fear fade into a distant haze. Stare into the light of good. Sow goodness and mercy morning, noon, and night. Don't sink into apathy. Heavens above, even though it feels like your veins are filled with sludge, don't let the monsters of this age steal the treasure of your art. </p><p>In this time of "look at me, hear my voice," listen for the quiet voices that don't bring the hurricane, that don't bring fire, and that don't bring earthquakes. Remember the madwoman who saw fame as a fickle food that men ate and then died. Think of the Gallilee carpenter who spoke of the blessed souls: the poor in spirit, the mourners, the meek, the merciful, the pure, the peacemakers, the persecuted. A motley crew, basically a band of flotsam and jetsom. Join the blessed with your art. Create the stuff you will be insulted for. Create the stuff that you will be persecuted for. Create the good, good stuff that you will be called evil for. </p><p>The image of the creator is within us all. Remember that as you look at each face. Do the work of sanity in the madness around us. Keep talking. Feel what you need feel, but then work. Still struggling? Find a solid tree to sit under. Trees never get to take a step, but in their own way are arguing with their neighbors and reaching for the stars. Lean against that rough bark and think about the rough bark protecting you. Think about the roots holding this tree to the ground. Think about the gold leaves of spring that furl into the green leaves of summer, and fade back to gold leaves of fall to stark branches of winter. You are the art tree. If a windstorm, snowfall, or mudslide has taken you out, you will lay on your side and every bit you will be used to enrich the next forest to spring out of the seeds you scattered before you fell. Cling to what lasts in the mad, mad world and work. </p><p>Now take on kindness. What kindness can you swirl into the patterns you create? Let go of your anger and animosity. Stop belittling humans with your fear-driven hate, regardless of the hate they are flinging at you. Open the doors you have shut. You have something to add to the creative canon. Nothing kills creativity like grudges and ill-will. Do yourself a favor and go to the ocean and cast a stone into the sea. Now see imagine an ocean without end, one of love. No matter how hot you are about whatever has happened to you. The sea will put out that fire. It will polish the dull surfaces of you. That love will make what is broken right. That ocean is deeper than infinity. </p><p>It's time to let go. You know the debts you have accrued in this life. Time to take your ledgers and burn them in the woodstove. Know the Logos that brought us into the light for this moment and this time has covered all the debts. The universe is counting on you. Your art springs out of the ether of imagination. Your art is bigger than madness. Set it free. Good news, art comes with wings. Wheel high above the mortal earth and fly. I hope these words help you steady yourself. Take what you need to stabilize your craft. </p><p>Here is a quote for your pocket.</p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #111111;">“Fear is the main source of superstition, and one of the main sources of cruelty. To conquer fear is the beginning of wisdom.” </span><span style="color: #111111; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px;">Bertrand Russell</span></span></p><p><br /></p>Molly/Cecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14754996366796005745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10937707.post-68969610386671885172021-01-11T22:15:00.000-06:002021-01-11T22:15:05.796-06:00Gearing Up for a New Year - Creativity<div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-VAVDMmmkgTmQC8zZdOJqUo2hwp95pzSZdiS_rhOTmILIeYihDcoJ9S2vLAe6Iyvha3CEkLe6nv-0oeJa0QD09ogCEI8twFy11rrkp8Md9MvaD59aT7oqdvblRYQ19dXKThhzFA/s2048/IMG_0631.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2019" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-VAVDMmmkgTmQC8zZdOJqUo2hwp95pzSZdiS_rhOTmILIeYihDcoJ9S2vLAe6Iyvha3CEkLe6nv-0oeJa0QD09ogCEI8twFy11rrkp8Md9MvaD59aT7oqdvblRYQ19dXKThhzFA/s320/IMG_0631.JPG" /></a></div><br />Art for your heart from my picture book <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08GFN9SXS" target="_blank">Magic Carpet Night.</a> </div><div><br /></div>It's January and folks are outlaying mucho moola on new planners, apps, and coaching classes to get the mojo juice flowing for 2021. We all know that most will fail. How do you keep yourself out of that group? Here's some advice: while everyone else is making new year's resolutions that will ultimately bomb, you can gear up in ways that will ensure success. The road map outlined here will help you energize your creativity and ensure that your work is popping, crackling, and snapping <div><br /></div><div>Creativity doesn't just happen. Don't listen to anyone who says you are a creative person; a chosen one imbued with this mysterious force. Creativity comes through hard work, experimentation, and vulnerability. These pillars are needed to keep the cauldron from being stagnant. Do you want to kick your production to a higher level? Do you want to do more than you have ever done before? Do you want to be standout original? I'm going to break down these three pillars to help you on your journey. <div><br /></div><div>The first pillar is hard work. Sit butt in chair and hustle. You must layer effort with endurance. Ask yourself what is something you have worked hard for. Think about what led to your success and repurpose anything useful. For me, I make my bed every day. It gives me a win every morning and it also shows I can endure for freaking forever as long as I "KISS" it. Yes, you must make sure you keep it simple, Stupid. Endurance depends on small steps with reps. If you sit around saying you going to write that novel, paint that picture, sculpt that sculpture, knit that blanket, but watch TV and drink mimosas instead, you are going to create a big pile of nothing. </div><div><br /></div><div>So let's get downright practical. Write down a list of five short term projects that you want to take to completion and that you have the skills and knowledge to do. Be sure these projects are very specific. Write a rough draft, not write a book. Books come in stages: prewriting, rough draft, revision1, revsion2, revision3, final draft. I'm trusting you to list out ten reasonable short term projects. Now, until these five short term projects are complete, don't start anything else. Put any new ideas on the next projects list. (If you don't have a system to shut down distractions, you are going to be distracted.) Now, how to approach each project. Estimate the time it will take you to do it. You may need to do some research to make a good estimate. Block out that time in your schedule. Set a deadline. Now get a partner on board to check in with. Turn off the feeds!!! Finally, work, work, work. </div></div><div><br /></div><div>The next creativity pillar is experimentation. Get out of your comfort zone. I mean it. Think of something absolutely bonkers from your perspective to try. Learn a new language, dip a toe into ballroom dancing, try learning a martial art...whatever seems out of your reach but that you would like to give it a go. Experimentation welcomes failure. Study new methods and try them out. Open up to some new ideas. Put yourself in somebody else's shoes. Let your curiosity run wild. Learn things for the joy of learning them. If you don't block out time for experimentation, you are not going to have ah-ha moments this year, not one. </div><div><br /></div><div>Here's some nitty-gritty experimentation implementation. Pull out your calendar and fuel it up. Find the event in the local newspaper, message board, coffee shop...get yourself to any event that interests you and looks like it takes skill to make it happen. Challenge yourself. Watch a show that folks are flocking to that is not your thing, and then think about why people are interested in it. Cook stuff in the kitchen. Grow stuff in the yard. Paint stuff on the walls. Go for walks and observe and think. Try the road less taken, at least by you. Bottom line. get out there and experiment, at least a few hours of your week need to be dedicated to experimentation. If you don't shake things up, I promise you will be stuck in a rut. </div><div><br /></div><div>The last creativity pillar is vulnerability. You must come out of your safety zone into exposed places. Yes, you must deal. Go to therapy. Attend a self-help group. Join a community of faith. Begin a gratitude journal. Anything that you know will emotionally crack you open is a good idea. Most of us have things festering, and if you are not dealing with them, that stuff will choke your voice. You might need to off-load something in a relatively safe place, i.e. totally anonymous. There are tons of websites out there where you can share secrets. Have that conversation you keep putting off. Face your pain. Be brave, and you will soar. </div><div><br /></div><div>Being vulnerable is about knowing your weaknesses. Perhaps it is time to admit a few things about yourself. Are you a lazy one? A mean one? A disorganized one? Whatever. We all have our hangups. You want to change, but the last 4000 things you tried have failed. Feel your feelings, but then dust yourself off and try again. Vulnerability is naming your kryptonite and then keeping away from that stuff. If you are wondering about where to start, choose someone who knows you and loves you, and then ask them what you need to work on. After you are finished being pissed about what they said, really think about it. One of the most vulnerable things you can do is listen. </div><div><br /></div><div>I hope I've stirred you up. Get into gear. This encouragement and right now is a great place to start. I love to jump into the deep end of the pool. The feeling of sinking deep into the water and then clawing my way back to the surface for the big breath. Some like to go into the pool one step at a time, slowly, until they get used to it. Gearing up your year is your journey. Do it your way. Be creative.</div><div><br /></div><div>Here is a quote for your pocket. </div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Creativity is contagious, pass it on. ~Albert Einstein</span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Molly/Cecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14754996366796005745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10937707.post-78497948993316471692021-01-04T12:54:00.002-06:002021-01-05T09:29:28.354-06:00Dsylexia. Dylesxia. Dylexia. Dyslexia. <p>I don't know by looking which word in the title is spelled right. Welcome to my life. </p><p>I was the reader in church on Sunday, and suddenly the words turned into a bunch of deconstructed letters. I didn't know my place, and I am suddenly back in my elementary school self. My teacher is asking what the next word is. I don't know. My class is laughing at me. I fold my shoulders in. Tears roll down my face. </p><p>A page of text can become a puzzle to me in a second. The words will reappear if I wait. Sometimes it takes up to a minute for me to see the separate words again, instead of a page of jumbled letters. But this was something that I didn't know how to communicate with my teacher. She never did try to figure out what was wrong with me. She thought I was a subpar student who refused to try. I was sent to remedial reading to fix the unfixable. It's a battle not to think of myself as a failure even to this day. </p><p>After church people came up to me. "We all make mistakes." I'm thinking, I didn't make a mistake. "Were you having a mental breakdown?" You seemed to be laughing and crying at the same time. I said that's what I meant. Long ago, I learned that this is me. I don't apologize for it, even if I am a train wreck. </p><p>I love the written word. Stories are my jam. My first stories were picture books because there had fewer words on the page. I remember being laughed at in the fifth-grade for trying to check out a stack of picture books at the school library. The librarian suggested I put them back for the younger kids. I put some back, but I'm still pissed about it. </p><p>I read every day, and I'm a writer. Dang, my love for stories is a problem. I just send out the emails and manuscripts and know, yeah, there may be a word or two or three or five or more missing. I blow up the text on novels to picture book size and read away. (Thank God for technology). I'm going to be told that I don't care sometimes, and I don't try sometimes, and that I need to clean up my manuscripts all the time. I won't apologize. </p><p>My dyslexia rips into everything I do. There is no way to avoid it, but, as a human being, I want to do something. So I tell my stories. Some days I can't write. The words are a mess and I can't sort them. I call these stagnant water days. Other days I have a few problems. The words flow like mountain streams, clear and fast. So my problem is variable. Tricky. </p><p>I am slower than everyone, but I do understand things. I love to learn, but I hate school. Those many Fs for things that I could not help really sucked and have left me with more than a little PTSD. We move forward shattered if we must. Only a few people have really been on the inside of my struggle enough to know what I'm facing daily. I am so grateful when the chose to love me and not fuss when I am continually struggling. </p><p>I consider dyslexia a dent-and-scratch disability. I am serviceable. I can get a job done. Don't expect type-A fervor from me. I'm type keep-my-head-above-water. </p><p>I hope that reading this makes you understand yourself better or see that quirky person in your life in a new light. Perhaps you can see the beauty of how they are dealing with the winds of this world. </p><p>Seize the day!</p><p>I close with a doodle for your soul. My interpretation of petroglyphs from Petroglyph National Monument in New Mexico. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjun8xN8TWgpkIeKO3wZNe23WLJ-ZkcB3vZ-_CZqji7EjyTOaTxfTfhuuEOjkavPtq9QJNzBKR8SES5Ugucyt_lLwNlvI22zy0TYHkIgP1OR-elAFwXp6c4pUe79kYk1zOCEf646Q/s1024/img_20190611_105057835.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="768" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjun8xN8TWgpkIeKO3wZNe23WLJ-ZkcB3vZ-_CZqji7EjyTOaTxfTfhuuEOjkavPtq9QJNzBKR8SES5Ugucyt_lLwNlvI22zy0TYHkIgP1OR-elAFwXp6c4pUe79kYk1zOCEf646Q/s320/img_20190611_105057835.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Here is a quote for your pocket. </p><h2 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #111111; line-height: 38px; margin: 30px 0px 20px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><i>I cling to my imperfection as the very essence of my being.</i> Anatole France</span></span></h2>Molly/Cecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14754996366796005745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10937707.post-29464819807051034302020-11-26T22:08:00.000-06:002020-11-26T22:08:07.313-06:00The Power of Thankfulness<p>Hi, folks. Welcome to 2020 on <i>Seize the day. </i>This year has been a gift to my inner introvert. That extroverted side of me has taken the passenger seat, and the book worm, star gazing gal is doing the driving. I've thought about Issac Newton a lot this year. He was at home during an epidemic when he connected the ideas of an apple falling and the moon being held by the earth, leading to the law of universal gravitation. Whoa!</p><p>I feel that Newton has set the success-during-a-pandemic bar high, but I have been giving my creative self the reins in what I am calling my "<i>Magnum Opus</i>" year. I'm grateful for a year to slow down and take time to breathe and write the hardest book I've ever attempted. If you have struggled this year, I hope my journey helps you reframe that rickety house you've built around yourself. </p><p>Thankfulness is a weird sort of thing. So many want to capture it, believing if they pile enough stones on the pile that that will show how thankful they have been. Nothing wrong with listing out what you are thankful for, nothing at all. I particularly like lists, but for me, thankfulness is like an updraft, unseen and moving me along at all times. Along with updraft is this other wind, unthankfulness, the downdraft, that can hold me down like a butterfly pinned to a board. If I want to soar, I gotta jump into the updraft. </p><p>Imagine a pillar of air shooting up out of the Earth with enough force to send you above the clouds. It's not going to be an easy jump. Add to the thought experiment that you stand in a downdraft that will hardly let you stand. The downdraft pins you to the Earth. You can't move much, but you don't have to worry about falling. You're already on rock bottom. It's going to be a battle to get out the downdraft. You will claw and crawl your way to the edge and then, ploop, you are tossed into the updraft. </p><p>Claw and crawl your way out of unthankfulness. Reframe your thoughts. Start with breathing. If you are reading this, you are breathing. Your lungs suck in oxygen all day long without a hint of help from your active brain. Breathe and be grateful. Get into this moment. Meditate. Let go of worrying. Be grateful for the body that holds your brain. Be grateful for the brain that allows you to think thoughts. Think about any mindless repetitive chores you do most days: sleep, brush your teeth, make your bed, sweep your floor. Think about the good people in your life, what gifts they have given you. Note, you are probably going to cry, have revelations about life, and forgive a whole boatload of stuff and write a magnum opus. This is a side effect of thankfulness, as far as I can tell. </p><p>In a bit, you will notice that the gloomy cloud is lifting. You will soar. So here is the drill claw and crawl. Whatever it takes. Then soar. If you find yourself back in ungratefulness, do the drill. </p><p>I hope this helps you. Check back for the next bit of carpe diem. </p><p>Here is a quote for your pocket.</p><p><i>I've never had a policy, I've just tried to do my best every day</i>. Abraham Lincoln. </p><p>A doodle for your joy. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbiXjjlzwP4F-JzfMO3ZMYo08I6tI3lRIjiQHbEDFNRYQ1NtT9D5TQ6Mo4c1BA4bz9xYsiFVBBdOPsxJ2wVfe0L_C6pNdjClHQtdFCy0lCY20YAgNDXwIVy6T8QiiVnppNzwECSA/s2048/Heron.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1554" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbiXjjlzwP4F-JzfMO3ZMYo08I6tI3lRIjiQHbEDFNRYQ1NtT9D5TQ6Mo4c1BA4bz9xYsiFVBBdOPsxJ2wVfe0L_C6pNdjClHQtdFCy0lCY20YAgNDXwIVy6T8QiiVnppNzwECSA/s320/Heron.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Molly/Cecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14754996366796005745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10937707.post-31615296856719120262020-10-18T17:57:00.001-05:002020-10-18T17:57:18.642-05:00Sunday Thoughts: An Unexpected Life<p> I've heard crickets from the Pitch Wars contest I entered. My book about an American Christian cult doesn't seem to have connected. That's life. I still love my book. I love it micro and macro. The joy of a creative life is wonderful. I hope you have spent some of this week pouring out creative energy. </p><div>I didn't expect to be fifty-six years old and be wondering what I was supposed to do with my life. Have you sought to achieve something but realized you're on the Oregon trail and don't have enough provisions? I didn't expect to be estranged from certain family members. I didn't expect that making my bed was going to be one of my great achievements. Are you living an unexpected life? </div><div><br /></div><div>I do feel that most of my days have been spent putting out fires and then resting till the next fire blows up. Life in Oregon and the rest of the west where the wildfires were raging, I am sure that folks wanted to do so much with their lives this summer but ended up dealing with fires. Or here with the hurricanes, there were plans but instead the aftermath was what happened. There is Covid worldwide, and we are all limping along. Are you living an unexpected life?</div><div><br /></div><div>I didn't know that I was born with a genetic defect that was going to weigh heavier and heavier as I grew older. I didn't know that I would pass this stuff to my children. But here I am, braver than I ever expected to be. Brave wasn't the word that I thought would dominate my life. But here I am. Are you living an unexpected life? </div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">Here is the deal. Live. Do your small acts of kindness with great joy. Be merciful. Find the road to forgiveness. Trust that every person is made in the image of God. Celebrate the goodness in people. Forgive everything else. Make a difference. Create your art. Live your life, whatever it is.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">A quote for your pocket. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><p class="b-qt qt_156028" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #101010; line-height: 37px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Nearly all the best things that came to me in life have been unexpected, unplanned by me. Carl Sandburg</span></p><p class="b-qt qt_156028" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #101010; line-height: 37px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A doodle.</span></p><p class="bq_fq_a" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px 0px 5px;"><br /></p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqlmNIIAD49IAOT59DVLHuyTsuxIyhPuz90jVY93q72jINDFwk0mylZMrIuvrx3HOaDr0ZGMYP00jE5hg6okmwQ0474Cp9ksmz6fwkl1-ImgeByq6Jt2rFPm9i5uvJgBh1W29p4g/s2048/2012+Molly+Art_0015.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1061" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqlmNIIAD49IAOT59DVLHuyTsuxIyhPuz90jVY93q72jINDFwk0mylZMrIuvrx3HOaDr0ZGMYP00jE5hg6okmwQ0474Cp9ksmz6fwkl1-ImgeByq6Jt2rFPm9i5uvJgBh1W29p4g/s320/2012+Molly+Art_0015.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div>Molly/Cecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14754996366796005745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10937707.post-74008855162232008552020-08-22T16:09:00.000-05:002020-08-22T16:09:15.346-05:00Magic Carpets and other reasons I love to dream<p> I love my creative life and the continuing stream of stories and images that spring out of my imagination. This week my newest creative endeavor has released: Magic Carpet Night. This story started about 30 years ago when my first child was born. I've been shaping and reshaping it for a long time. I always hated that bedtime is portrayed as a bad thing in books, like somehow if you crawl under the covers and close your eyes you will miss something important or get eaten by a pretend monster. </p><p>Magic Carpet Night is a book about my vision of entering the portal of dreams. I close my eyes and leap and that lead leads to the wildest places imaginable. I wanted a story that showed that bedtime wasn't something to avoid but something to cherish. For me, I have rarely encountered dragons when I sleep, but mostly I encounter fantastical scenes, full of mysterious questions. There is a sense of safety in this world of dreams. Of course, magic is a given, and the best kind of magic, the kind that springs from within me. </p><p>My place in the universe is sure when I enter the door to dreams. Magic Carpet Night is a chance to snuggle up and enter into the place where we each spend 1/3 of our lives. Our dreams are one of the biggest gifts we will ever receive. This will book will open conversations on why bedtime is such a good thing. Dreams don't necessarily make sense. They don't always have a purpose. For me dreams, flood me with feelings of wonder. The meaning of dreams is so often beyond words. What dreams may come? Sleep, so you have the chance to dream. </p><p>I hope you will get a sense that my little book is the tip of the iceberg of the mysteries beyond our waking hours. <span style="background-color: #fff9ee; color: #513831; font-family: "Cherry Cream Soda"; font-size: 17.6px;">Here is the link to the Kindle version for $2.99: </span><span style="color: #513831; font-family: Cherry Cream Soda;"><span style="font-size: 17.6px;"><a href="https://amzn.to/2CP2oqL" target="_blank">https://amzn.to/2CP2oqL</a></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbYyTHxB_hhdieTbQQJbhbnx9H8xkc7tMxdmuAkzPHYp75pyNLBQziXP694eV9QRZAs7M6PiaOO5Vf3P2RJ95LE8YxQv3zDIuLRlivFu-MXRR5GCjGJaKzVLzpLkXnoCTIlE56MA/s2048/IMG_0612.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2019" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbYyTHxB_hhdieTbQQJbhbnx9H8xkc7tMxdmuAkzPHYp75pyNLBQziXP694eV9QRZAs7M6PiaOO5Vf3P2RJ95LE8YxQv3zDIuLRlivFu-MXRR5GCjGJaKzVLzpLkXnoCTIlE56MA/w316-h320/IMG_0612.JPG" title="Magic Carpet Night" width="316" /></a></div><p><br /></p>Molly/Cecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14754996366796005745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10937707.post-5354055651185109232020-06-15T11:26:00.000-05:002020-06-15T11:36:52.648-05:00The pandemic and other things I worry aboutWorrying isn’t such a great idea, but I do it any way. This is especially problematic for me since I am professing Christian. Christians are supposed to cast their burdens upon the Lord. Currently we’re in the middle of a pandemic. That’s not something I expected to see in my lifetime. We aren’t really in control, are we? A half million people have died—most elderly and infirm. Many more expected to die. Tensions are running high in people because of the stress of Covid. Our militarized police force continues to act with racist actions toward black lives. It’s probably the worst time in history for marches on the streets because many marches feature our most vulnerable populations, but here we are. So lurking behind all of this is the global warming trend, and I think a world that has dived into a worldwide recession.<br />
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So what do we do? How can anyone process all of this? We just have our every day life stuff going on. I’m estranged from my older daughter. She absolutely won’t speak to me. I am not even against her reasoning, I grew up in the world systemic racism and I also have attended ultra-conservative churches. These worldviews have shaped me and she has taken a break from me to sort out her own problems. I miss her so. It’s really an overwhelming lot to deal with. So how do I deal? I turn on all the lights. Cast your burden upon the Lord and he shall sustain me. He will never suffer the righteous to be moved. As for me and my house, I will serve the Lord. This is what we do. We refuse to be frozen in place. No matter how bruised and bloody we are from this world, we look beyond it.<br />
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I turn to memories of my mema. She always said better days are going to come. She always said we are more resilient than we think. I turn to my mom who has been gone for over 15 years, but I still hear her voice. Be a thinking person. Don’t take anything at face value. Don’t suffer fools. Treat every single person like they got a mansion in heaven waiting for them. Your past can work against you or you can reshape it and let it work for you. And finally she always said look out at the flowers of the field, they do not work, but they are adorned more beautifully than the wealthiest king. Look at the birds. They don’t know where their next meal is coming from, but they just keep on doing their thing. And they thrive. You should do your thing, I know that God is with you and will take care of you. He’s going to take care of all of this. <br />
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I can’t imagine that you’re not worrying some right now. For some people this drives creativity. For others it just kills it like roadkill. Whatever state you’re in, embrace it. Learn the lessons that are coming to you. If you’re pouring out, let the water flow. If you’re taking it all in, save it up for when it’s your turn to speak.<br />
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Art.<br />
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Quote.<br />
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Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it. <br />
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Helen KellerMolly/Cecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14754996366796005745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10937707.post-29180902078744662492020-06-07T10:35:00.002-05:002020-06-07T10:37:06.523-05:00Stranger in a Strange LandHi, folks.<br />
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Are you a stranger in a strange land? I wonder if anyone else feels this way. Do you remember elementary school? All the kids would want to get into fights. I mean all the time. I had a hard time navigating that world. It was exhausting. Accusations would continuously fly. You had to chose sides or you were one hundred percent excluded. There were multiple factions. Each one believed it was absolutely right and never wanted to hear the other side of the story. If you did listen to the other side of the story, you were unloyal to the cause. You chose the invisible route. Everyone called you a weirdo.<br />
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I had a number of personal problems as a child. I suffered from panic attacks, but no one really knew what panic attacks were, so most kids called me a freak. Every day I spent at school I spent some time crying, maybe thirty minutes or an hour. Sometimes the whole day. I had asthma but it was undiagnosed. Of course, my family had no health insurance, and to go to the doctor you basically had to have an extra elbow in your arm or a fever so high that was causing you to have hallucinations.<br />
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I also had a glitch in the brain software. Letters got tangled. Random words and letters went missing when I wrote. Sometimes extra words and letters would jump in. I couldn't tie my shoelaces. I couldn't tell left from right. Still can’t. Writing on a line. Impossible. Writing a numbered list. (Think spelling list.) No. I'm still not "diagnosed." My mom believed I had dyslexia and have this glitch, folks. Please overlook any glitching in my poor blog.<br />
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From my perspective, life is very, very hard. Everyone is fighting terrible battles. The more a person acts like everything is okay —that they know the answers and stress they are right hundred percent right—upsets me. I try to hold true to this idea. “Be kind to everyone that you know for everyone is fighting a great battle.” (Ian McClaren).<br />
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I hope to see more kindness this week. I plan to rejoice every time I see kindness. If you are a stranger in a strange land, know you are not alone.<br />
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Art to brighten your week.<br />
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A quote for your pocket.<br />
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Be kind to everyone that you know for everyone is fighting a great battle.” (Ian McClaren).<br />
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Molly/Cecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14754996366796005745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10937707.post-70084880408369531912019-12-22T17:32:00.001-06:002019-12-22T17:33:23.189-06:00Story PowerStories make us feel. The reality of those feelings equals the reality of our own experience. Our emotional growth is dependent on these shared experiences. We can experience so much more in the safe pages of a book. Sure, movies and shows are great ways to feed the story hunger but these containers are limited. A book mines the internal journey. We experience this journey through the thoughts of our characters. Voice-over exposition doesn't do it for me, and I doubt it does for you.<br />
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We don't know how long humans have shared experiences through the medium of story, but the flickering light of endless campfires warms my bones, and the more recent leap to written language fuels the fires within. Story is what brings confidence to sort through the troubles of our day. Story is that collective memory of mankind that assures us that we made it through those other things, we will make it through the waves of trouble that have swamped us today.<br />
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This season brings the Jólabókaflóð (The Yule Book Flood), a time to give books and read until morning. It's my treasured reading time, and I love it. I hope you stop this season to expand your emotional landscape. Do you want to grow and be more? Pick up a book and allow it transport you on a journey to rise above the odds and find your way. The experience will help you face the challenges in your "real life" journey. Tap into this superpower, story power.<br />
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Spend your time wisely. Today is all we have.<br />
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Quote for your pocket.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px;">“Stories are light. Light is precious in a world so dark. Begin at the beginning. Tell Gregory a story. Make some light.” Kate Di Camillo</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px;">A doodle for you. </span><br />
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Molly/Cecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14754996366796005745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10937707.post-16493813672201743962019-06-19T02:29:00.003-05:002019-06-19T02:38:32.251-05:00Night OwlI haven't posted in a while. Writing has been happening. I almost have draft one of <i>For the Love of God </i>by my alter-ego Cece<i>. </i>I spent a week in New Mexico recharging at the no-name writer's retreat at the <a href="https://norbertinecommunity.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Bethany-House-6-08-Ext4.jpg" target="_blank">Norbertine Abbey</a>. What's not to love? I hunkered in my little room and turned the fan on. (It is New Mexico in the summer.) I read my manuscript from end to end and then began to add more magical chapters. My writing wasn't the only magic brewing. The beautiful scenery! The owls (burrowing owls live near the abbey)! The conversation! The ukelele! (Thanks, Lisa.) Each day was about relaxing and making space for the work. Did I mention the crunchy lemon cookies and iced tea?<br />
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There is something about a place that has a garden of peace, a library, and sacred places around every corner. It was the perfect place to reflect on a period of my life full of turmoil and sadness and God. I scribbled notes and typed away. One night, I stayed awake like a night owl and wrote and wrote. The kinks in my innards slowly worked out. After a few short days, I left the Abbey relaxed and less panicked that I would never finish my WIP. I left with a lesson, too. The Abbey is in the middle of a desert, but that dry dust land is full of life. A good thing to remember when every the road becomes bleak.<br />
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It is important to take care of yourself. In the midst of your busy life, chose to stop. Seek silence. Let it well around you. Stop hurrying. Retreat somewhere and reconnect. These are the days of your life. Don't miss them. I hope you hear me, readers. Don't let this moment pass by. Whatever dream you keep pushing aside, it's about to slip away. Stop. This is your chance. Don't throw it away. This opportunity to make a difference could pass you by. Cling to it. Do what you can, when you can, while you can.<br />
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I'm so glad you gave this a read. Please share your big dream in the comments. I find writing a thing down will make it more likely happen.<br />
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Please remember to seize the day.<br />
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Here is a doodle of a petroglyph from back in the day. I hope there is a smiley face in the center of my bird spirit.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy706EJerME37M95hvYqBpLrtrBI7Q2SwIcT2Fc5KrQV4ETK8c0L9hiUO_cNOiMA94meRsvrbIV7oE6hLI29dQc68NvsqmLjoMVK4fqrSq3HnuGiRhXZHctCApyMXLgrbdk6z-_Q/s1600/divingbirdpetroglyph.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1122" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy706EJerME37M95hvYqBpLrtrBI7Q2SwIcT2Fc5KrQV4ETK8c0L9hiUO_cNOiMA94meRsvrbIV7oE6hLI29dQc68NvsqmLjoMVK4fqrSq3HnuGiRhXZHctCApyMXLgrbdk6z-_Q/s320/divingbirdpetroglyph.jpg" width="224" /></a></div>
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Here is a quote for your pocket from another one who sought solitude.<br />
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“I learned this, at least, by my experiment: that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.” Henry David Thoreau<br />
<br />Molly/Cecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14754996366796005745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10937707.post-16760523738262648572018-10-28T18:16:00.002-05:002018-10-28T18:17:22.852-05:00Writing StormA storm is brewing, friends, a writing storm. I am going throw out the whole enchilada next month during <a href="http://www.nanowrimo.org/" target="_blank">NANOWRIMO! </a> I plan to complete the first draft of FOR THE LOVE OF GOD. This is THE book about three girls who drop out of college to join a cult. Yes, you might need a box of Kleenex to read it.<br />
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I'm revving up here in my soul. Mojo! Check. Blank book! Check. Perfectly smooth ink pen! Check. Computer! Check. We all need gear. This is the one book I was born to write. It will be hard for me because it's not funny and laughter is my coping mechanism. I do feel the fire within; let's see what I can do. (God, please help me!)<br />
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On the troubles in the world, we are in a rough patch. The Universe is full of rough patches. I will be salt here. This is going to pass. We are going to figure things out, and things will get better. It won't be free. Nothing is free.<br />
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This a quick note. I'm feeling better. Whew!<br />
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Here is a doodle. A classic from my sister, Lee Barlow. She made a WANTED poster of me back in the day.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMuLcRFrBlLIPR-niCws2oUqcFrCZtYnwx-MGVkmmG7QQUSEer0-bv5s0pDo9bFgK1Iroh5tTEyRRwFmyn8N2npGa5d9r0wm38BEFk1qvQlBMItUwAc9NMuBERl6dVtODJejHVSg/s1600/Molly+Tech.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="809" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMuLcRFrBlLIPR-niCws2oUqcFrCZtYnwx-MGVkmmG7QQUSEer0-bv5s0pDo9bFgK1Iroh5tTEyRRwFmyn8N2npGa5d9r0wm38BEFk1qvQlBMItUwAc9NMuBERl6dVtODJejHVSg/s320/Molly+Tech.jpg" width="237" /></a></div>
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Here is a quote for your pocket. </div>
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<i>If there is something wrong, speak up!</i> Pete Seeger</div>
Molly/Cecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14754996366796005745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10937707.post-40743112313057894192018-10-15T12:20:00.002-05:002018-10-22T17:46:52.782-05:00Lemonade LifeHi folks,<br />
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I'm am finally on the mend! I have even gone back to water aerobics. My bones are feeling good.<br />
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One thing that I like about myself is the ability to make lemonade from the lemons that life hands. me. It is my number one skill. Just thinking about whatever-sorry-thing-that-has-come-my-way as a lemon perks me up. I've had the shingles lemon, the flu lemon, and the ear infection lemon thrown at me in succession, and I just see those lemons swirling around in a beautiful glass pitcher and the sugar dissolving.<br />
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The visual helps, but this thinking helps more. I think, "I'm not entitled to anything." Everything is a gift. Every breath. Every step. Every moment. I know that I will never pass this way again. There is no other life; there is today and now. Letting go of the past and the future helps me so much. I don't despise the day that I took my first step. I will not despise the day I take my last one.<br />
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My days are worth consideration. They are never worthless. I do not scorn my moments, no matter how mundane. A lemonade life goes far beyond optimism. Optimism is rooted in an idea that there will be a successful outcome, but here's the rub, there isn't always a successful outcome. What are you going to do then? Feeling like you are out in the cold, positive thinkers? Ready to join the dark side with the pessimists?<br />
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Take a breath. Optimism is a useful tool. We made it to the moon. Pessimism has its place too. That's why we build in backup systems. Perspective helps. The universe is a humongous place. Your success or failure is less than a drop in that bucket. Is it enough to be a bunch of matter that has come together and is aware? And here is something I'm as sure of as dark matter and something smaller than a Higgs particle: great love. I can't weigh love. I can't measure it. I can't prove it exists, but I know it does. Sweet love. Yay, sugar!<br />
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Mix your lemons and sugar. Live a lemonade life.<br />
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Here is a doodle:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP9-VZDmUoh_nPZHMJCra7HKQXC32Qdcj6GsJyiHHAnMsjwHbu87HNAQ2L6wKtwCdeiHLRL8Fr2TX2F-ffICsKic2wlluaRehlfr9ujHdPD2nPs6k1DkA5u4JW7pyQium7N6hxtg/s1600/Cheerleader+chickens.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1365" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP9-VZDmUoh_nPZHMJCra7HKQXC32Qdcj6GsJyiHHAnMsjwHbu87HNAQ2L6wKtwCdeiHLRL8Fr2TX2F-ffICsKic2wlluaRehlfr9ujHdPD2nPs6k1DkA5u4JW7pyQium7N6hxtg/s320/Cheerleader+chickens.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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Here is a quote for your pocket.<br />
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<span jsname="YS01Ge" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">And if I ever lose my hands, lose my plough, lose my land,</span><br />
<span jsname="YS01Ge" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Oh if I ever lose my hands, Oh if I won't have to work no more.</span>Molly/Cecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14754996366796005745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10937707.post-59309367281455886942018-10-06T23:14:00.000-05:002018-10-06T23:15:42.927-05:00NessSometimes, strength of character is a person coughing her head-off and sleeping around the clock. I've had a tough month physically. It's put my creative self on hold. No doodles since last weekend.<br />
I haven't written one word. I have read only one book this week. (Sad. Sad. Sad.)<br />
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I am dreaming of my water aerobics class and writing down pages and pages of words. Here I am persevering.<br />
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So what to write about it. Here it is: NESS. Lots of angry twitters out there, folks. Here is a "Ness" the Union address. Ness means the"state of." I am standing up as an advocate of love this week.<br />
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Here is my suggestion. Try the high road. Think of all your best adjectives and add ness to them. Loving, kind, hopeful, peaceful, happy, free, good, considerate, caring, empathy, believing, ethical, etc. You want more than just one act of good stuff, you want to be in the state of the good stuff. That means regardless of what is going down in the neighborhood, the country, or the world, you remain in the "state of."<br />
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On the flip side, think of the worst adjectives. Hateful, angry, mad, depressed, bored, shallow, misogynistic, overbearing, holier-than-thou, etc. Chuck that stuff into the wind. I think you get the picture.<br />
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Everything you need to know you learned in kindergarten. Play fair. Say you are sorry. Forgive all the wrongs. Respect each others' space. Take turns. Be sure to include everyone. Mrs. Crabtree at King of Glory Kindergarten really knew her good stuff.<br />
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Here is a doodle.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7btAW856hXIIK0GOUMz8Z7fvcdMov-Besxye2-bih0RdjF5mF974GoZ1v07qP5QnL1wSzrSjBFC7RrRtmnNIN82EVlv0GuqyGkaEU8y72U4thnCGQlCKy4g59b1NEP4zl47i8zw/s1600/Tangled+Hearts.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1108" data-original-width="1600" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7btAW856hXIIK0GOUMz8Z7fvcdMov-Besxye2-bih0RdjF5mF974GoZ1v07qP5QnL1wSzrSjBFC7RrRtmnNIN82EVlv0GuqyGkaEU8y72U4thnCGQlCKy4g59b1NEP4zl47i8zw/s320/Tangled+Hearts.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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Here is a quote for your pocket. </div>
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<i style="background-color: white; color: #545454; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Love many things, for therein lies the true strength, and whosoever loves much performs much, and can accomplish much, and what is done in love is done well.</i><i style="background-color: white; color: #545454; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;"> Vincent Van Gogh</i></div>
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<br />Molly/Cecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14754996366796005745noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10937707.post-55697518612492486472018-09-16T21:59:00.001-05:002018-09-16T21:59:47.411-05:00Throwdown, Universe!Hey folks,<div>
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Yes, in my last blog post, I mentioned that I was about to start my magnum opus novel. Soon thereafter, my shoulder began to ache. Then my arm. Then it felt like both began to throb and then catch on fire. The sore boils came next. One trip to urgent care later, I learned that I had shingles. This stuff hurts like crazy but I am not giving in. </div>
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It's time for a throwdown, Universe! What is a throwdown? A performance competition between rappers, breakdancers, or perhaps, a writer and the greatest storyteller, the universe. I am calling this a write-my-story throwdown. I'm slowly coming off the pain meds and it's on!<div>
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Rotten luck, bad timing, or burning the candles at both ends, whatever is going on, I still am about to start my magnum opus novel. I will begin tomorrow with two hours of work every day for the next four days. Stuff happens, but this stuff fights back. Why I need more grit is a mystery to me because I am already a rather gritty old gal. But the going is tough, so the tough must get going. This is the time to bring out the mettle and the moral fiber. </div>
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I think that the whole optimist, sunny-side up attitude has its place, but what is stronger is the person who whips out strength of character, steely nerves, and hardy resolve. And what is the first thing I must do? Be glad. All the debts have been paid, worriers. This kind of writing is how I find myself. When I forget who I am, I am ever so glad I wrote down my heart. </div>
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Are you on a creative journey? Throw in some grit. </div>
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Here is a doodle. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIGEO4hUGL5ms-ZtLULPdBUt76tGO4FH8krpSOVrUg872W0N3-HloP_Cl7NyExpsFZnNLbvz_v_4aKRYHZXSFAuB0U0rPI_PTql77nT2m6CEYYMQbOT2ssyJrkj4VKAUal0fcnZA/s1600/Sept+2013_0003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1322" data-original-width="1600" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIGEO4hUGL5ms-ZtLULPdBUt76tGO4FH8krpSOVrUg872W0N3-HloP_Cl7NyExpsFZnNLbvz_v_4aKRYHZXSFAuB0U0rPI_PTql77nT2m6CEYYMQbOT2ssyJrkj4VKAUal0fcnZA/s320/Sept+2013_0003.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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A quote for your pocket. </div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">“I am not what I ought to be, I am not what I want to be, I am not what I hope to be in another world; but still I am not what I once used to be, and by the grace of God I am what I am” John Newton</span></div>
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Molly/Cecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14754996366796005745noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10937707.post-34307769274048064992018-09-06T22:36:00.000-05:002018-09-06T22:37:00.213-05:00Where in the World Am I?Hi Folks,<br />
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Sorry I haven't posted in a while. I've been uber busy with projects this summer. I wrote a chapter story for<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gc88GjFmcc" target="_blank"> Lipa Pirates</a>, and I also illustrated a picture book (more deets to come). Busy beaver here.<br />
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So what have I been thinking about lately other than if ice or heat is better for a pinched nerve in my neck? Uh, finishing up this year's Teens Publish, my program at the Ringer Library in College Station. The anthology is almost complete and the big party is around the corner! Exciting stuff! Did I mention my son got married? Life must be lived sometimes and thinking comes later.<br />
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Anywho, as soon as the current projects are over, I'm writing the story I planned to never write. I will draft the entire novel this fall. I have written three different outlines and for some reason have "misplaced" all of those outlines. What is my subconscious trying to say? Yes, write the worst novel ever or a rough draft, whatever you want to call it.<br />
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Now I will pontificate about what it takes to write a novel: a working computer or pen and paper. Hahaha. For me, the starstuff need for novel creation is this annoying voice in my head that keeps telling me that stories set us free and if you don't write the story that keeps bouncing around in your head, who is going to not have the stuff they need to move on to the next chapter in their life? (THEY/THEIR is on purpose, I officially say that THEY/THEIR covers all genders because I personally think 10 checkboxes for genders need to be simplified.)<br />
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It takes heart to write a novel. Stories are about the deep waters of the soul. They uncover what can't just be said with what must be shown. This is the magnum opus of my career. I was born to write this novel, and I am so glad that the day has come for me to write it. Your stories are bigger than you. Be happy you are along for the ride. I hope you push your keys or pen against paper. If you aren't a writer, let that inner voice guide you. What will be missing from the world if you don't listen to it? Please don't take this lightly.<br />
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I hope you SEIZE the day!<br />
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Here is a doodle:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhztOcS9UNqZEw3e5OCV58kOkEIqymDlJ4AtM8W4r5fi3VOjwC_ZyNdI5XKQDk_rxJ6B10Au6yi92bqLjuMmTujOmR1oNlRO2MFsiX68tuGBMX9RxXUaM6GVANfVb17xIeAK1_nWw/s1600/035.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1163" data-original-width="1600" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhztOcS9UNqZEw3e5OCV58kOkEIqymDlJ4AtM8W4r5fi3VOjwC_ZyNdI5XKQDk_rxJ6B10Au6yi92bqLjuMmTujOmR1oNlRO2MFsiX68tuGBMX9RxXUaM6GVANfVb17xIeAK1_nWw/s320/035.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Here is a quote for your pocket.<br />
“Try to be a rainbow in someone’s cloud.” – Maya Angelou<br />
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Molly/Cecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14754996366796005745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10937707.post-38882387309360076722018-06-16T16:14:00.001-05:002018-06-16T16:14:51.745-05:00Learn to Do RightI have been thinking about this a lot lately: Learn to do right. These words come from almost 3000 years ago from a prophet called Isaiah. <br /><br />What he calls "doing right," these words resonate within me:<br /><br /><div>
Seek justice.<br />Defend the oppressed.<br />Take up the cause of the fatherless;<br />plead the case of the widow.</div>
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I want to learn. I hear this voice calling me:</div>
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Everyone has an answer in their ivory tower. You should climb down and stop passing people in the street. Step out of your comfort zone and do something, say something, stand up. No more wishy-washy words that do nothing to change the world torn world. </div>
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Rise up, you couch potato. Figure out why folks are kneeling under the red, white, and blue. Open up to children taken from their parents and stuffed into neat rows at land's end. How many grandmamas live in an old shack with no one to take them a dime? Wake up, get out, make a difference. Learn to do right, girl. Learn it now. </div>
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I hope this stirs up your creative self. </div>
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Here is a doodle. I call it "Ripe Field."</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisXgjYaJkEIJaFg07ksFG_w4f6OlZfq_KSVpse151VbleOb4s9v6p6DUTRy60eB_Ba975dfO6xyg0OSKdapDPOoyw45l5y8IdOdA8CNKgCigKnFpmQmPTejSUb_YVJqGbQ9nTBMQ/s1600/Ripe+field.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1366" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisXgjYaJkEIJaFg07ksFG_w4f6OlZfq_KSVpse151VbleOb4s9v6p6DUTRy60eB_Ba975dfO6xyg0OSKdapDPOoyw45l5y8IdOdA8CNKgCigKnFpmQmPTejSUb_YVJqGbQ9nTBMQ/s320/Ripe+field.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br /><br />I hope you put this quote in your pocket:<br /><br /><i>Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable... Every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals. </i>Martin Luther King<div>
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Molly/Cecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14754996366796005745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10937707.post-61749767275499339592018-06-10T21:31:00.001-05:002018-06-10T21:31:04.858-05:00ComfortHi, folks,<br />
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I am a busy bee currently! Life. Life. Life. Repeat.<br />
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I have been thinking about comfort this week. What comforts my heart? This is not a big existential thought. I'm all about the little things over here in my little life. I've been working on breaking my unhealthy habits. Here's one: I tend to reach for food for comfort. I think it is a southern thing, y'all.<br />
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Well, an occasional slice of caramel cake is fine, but I need to fill myself up with non-food comforts. Here is my current list.<br />
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Wrapping up in a warm blanket in a cold room<br />
A long, long, long hug<br />
Sleeping in a hammock under the trees on a sunny day<br />
Petting a cat<br />
Floating in the pool<br />
Rereading a favorite book<br />
Reading Isaiah and thinking about it<br />
Listening to my favorite songs on a long walk<br />
Singing by a campfire<br />
Holding hands under a starry sky<br />
Child's pose<br />
A foot massage<br />
Deep prayer where the world disappears around me<br />
Making my bed<br />
Walking in the woods anywhere, anytime<br />
A tall glass of iced tea (no sugar, slice of lemon) on a hot day<br />
An excellent conversation<br />
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I need more comfort. If you have any other ideas, I would appreciate them. I hope you think about what comforts you this week regardless. Take some time and be comforted. I think a person who can self-comfort has found a goldmine.<br />
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One more thought, creating comforts me. Write some words. Paint some dots. Cut a rug. The movement in time leaves a lovely echo.<br />
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I will be back with more...<br />
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Here is a doodle.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicp4aa_MPHb90EOQ4eWW96PGX9TH212RN4V46gTpDxvPT9eJrn0sosEk30wYntx4DFa5QRlM03Rh3RcYu8iDxxrdcwenPCa7_94SeDoC8S5Y1InEPQiq5O_K-E7mbNiYe0qUetrw/s1600/oahu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1224" data-original-width="1600" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicp4aa_MPHb90EOQ4eWW96PGX9TH212RN4V46gTpDxvPT9eJrn0sosEk30wYntx4DFa5QRlM03Rh3RcYu8iDxxrdcwenPCa7_94SeDoC8S5Y1InEPQiq5O_K-E7mbNiYe0qUetrw/s320/oahu.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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And a quote that comforts me:<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">But they that wait upon the Lord will renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings as eagles; they will run and not be weary, and they shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:31</span><span style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /></span>Molly/Cecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14754996366796005745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10937707.post-65095069061350955132018-06-04T23:25:00.000-05:002018-06-04T23:25:03.812-05:00I'm an OnionGood news! I don't have cancer currently. All test have been deemed negative. I feel like dancing in the streets! Thanks for the prayers and the prayer beads. I feel extremely blessed right now.<br />
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I'm a hotbed of creative activity currently. My mind sizzles with ideas. I pitched a book that I believe is just a stay-up-all-night read to a couple of agents and have received two very encouraging "not for mes". More to go. I am illustrating a little picture book project for a company. My <a href="http://www.bcslibrary.org/teens-publish/">TEENSPublish </a>group is about to begin at the Ringer Library on Wednesday. I have 18 teens in. These kids are going to write a most awesome collection this summer. I'm happy to be the cheer coach on the sidelines! There are some writing gigs simmering too.<br />
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I'm not neglecting the blog there is only so much of me to go around.<br />
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Currently, I'm focusing on being the person I want to be. This journey includes the fact that I sort of suck at making money and being cool with that. Also, I want to do whatever I can to make the world around me an easier place to navigate. Add to that, I realize more and more the stuff that we shove under the rug is the stuff we must bring into the light of day. Finally, a daily practice of forgiving myself for my missteps helps me. My mantra: Stop beating yourself up if you aren't all that!<br />
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Everybody needs a mantra.<br />
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One thing I've had to admit. I do not excel at the big picture. I'm a detail person. It is all about the details. I'm no branded, stenciled luxury apple. Instead, I'm everyday onion, and I grow in the dirt, not rarefied air. The multitude of layers makes my life wonderful. If I look at any one layer, it doesn't seem like much. The depth and multitde of layers are what create the tasty Texas 1015 sweet onion that I am.<br />
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My current book project is FOR THE LOVE OF GOD. It's my bravest book. I'm not sure how everyone feels out there, but my heart just hungers for understanding. That said, I'm really tired of everyone being so sure about everything. If you aren't on a trajectory that is moving you toward a place that you know less and are hence more flexible, I suggest you rethink the master plan.<br />
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Here are some story things that I'm wrestling with. No. I have no proof of the existence of God. Yet I still believe. I don't ascribe to the idea that Bible has no mistakes in it. I'd toss any belief system in the trash that required a no-mistakes guidebook. Rigid belief is inhuman in my opinion. I feel an inflexible belief system is totally stagnant and unable to open to new information. This inflexibility leads to pernicious thinking, that gradually and subtle steals joy and peace.<br />
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Hint. If you have no joy and peace, your next brave step is to change your suppositions. This is the hard, hard work of faith.<br />
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I hope this little window into my onion-y mind helps you navigate your journey. I will be back when I can with more reasons to seize the day.<br />
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Here is a doodle. Rose-colored sky.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi40eDHKWYlPfZn7hP14sFOyATsdaRbKK6SQpqCdzBMRuJ0-HfI7hcoGhJwjWRebL_OAokT0HQ_3m2A-Zk-bFjws7OoNTO1RvosxZ2neNfgOuoBWNMPoBY7-ze_MZSfxeQfw_SISg/s1600/Rose+colored+sky.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1366" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi40eDHKWYlPfZn7hP14sFOyATsdaRbKK6SQpqCdzBMRuJ0-HfI7hcoGhJwjWRebL_OAokT0HQ_3m2A-Zk-bFjws7OoNTO1RvosxZ2neNfgOuoBWNMPoBY7-ze_MZSfxeQfw_SISg/s320/Rose+colored+sky.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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Here is a quote for your pocket.<br />
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<i>Live as brave men; and if fortune is adverse, front its blows with brave hearts. </i>Marcus Tullius CiceroMolly/Cecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14754996366796005745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10937707.post-20711574652132776852018-04-12T09:27:00.002-05:002018-04-12T10:01:18.405-05:00Facing Deep WatersRight now life feels like walking through a sea of peanut butter. I went to the doctor this week and received the news that I have a lump in my breast. My genes aren't great and I suffer from a syndrome that means that I will have cancer again and again. This reality makes sure that I always know that every day is a gift and that I've only received so many of these wonderful gifts.<br />
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A precious counselor once told me that I was the bravest person that she had ever met. Some chose bravery, others have bravery thrust upon them. I'm in the second group.<br />
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I'm gearing up for a boatload of tests. A biopsy and the very real chance that I'm about to go through major surgery and then some chemotherapy. At the same time, I am trying to write a painful book about experiences as a young woman who took a wrong turn into a Christian cult. Where is the strength coming from? I reach out my arms to the Logos. I always get this image of me stretched so far that I entangle in the stars. I'm rooted there. All things are possible.</div>
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With this heartening vision, I bring to mind that my great faith that life everlasting is another gift that will come my way. (My hope is that gift is for all.) </div>
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I remind myself this life is the seed part of existence, and that I will someday shed this corruptable person for one that is incorruptible. Then comes the work of calling out to the Logos for strength to face the deep waters of more cancer tests and a biopsy. After my hard work, I leave my cares with the Logos and turn my heart, soul, and mind toward the task at hand, my book of faith. </div>
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This is the story of my bravery. I hope that it helps you <span style="background-color: #f6d5d9;">as </span>you journey on. I will work on my next book as I am able. A wise person told me this would be my masterpiece. It is certainly a difficult book for me to write. The only things guiding me right now are the glimmers of light that guided my life before I saw better days. </div>
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For everyone out there, learn to live with your story. Embrace it. Share it. </div>
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A doodle. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0fwX63ua511vngzC-oXUUlhoy0M9FJcpXXbRB1seglZhmgnRSredWMz4QUd9EW_x1G9KM5ROT9CNM5tQ3TqO2ImsqZut2MgUC-Ru44zXAy0lqCceuEHXDZ88xUeUVAcGkGkXFSA/s1600/deep+waters.png.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1366" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0fwX63ua511vngzC-oXUUlhoy0M9FJcpXXbRB1seglZhmgnRSredWMz4QUd9EW_x1G9KM5ROT9CNM5tQ3TqO2ImsqZut2MgUC-Ru44zXAy0lqCceuEHXDZ88xUeUVAcGkGkXFSA/s320/deep+waters.png.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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A quote for your pocket.</div>
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"Don't close your eyes, don't close your eyes, <br />
This is your life." Switchfoot</div>
Molly/Cecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14754996366796005745noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10937707.post-20798462254624807232018-02-06T23:42:00.001-06:002018-02-06T23:42:37.564-06:00The Joy of LifeI am so deeply grateful for life. My faithful lungs pull in the air and push it out. I love movement and order. Every day is just the wonderful mix of moments. It seems alien to me that everyone isn't taking time to celebrate the chance to be. The other day someone tapped me and asked me why I'm enjoying a mundane moment so much. I answered that I love the moments.<br />
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It is enough for me to breathe and enjoy sweeping my floor, making my bed, hugging my cats, punching the water in water aerobics, writing my stories, chatting with my sweetheart, celebrating every good thing... It doesn't matter to me to be if I'm in the spotlight or waiting on the sidelines. The good stuff is I know myself. I'm never alone. I'm always loved. I believe in the mystery of good news. The Deliever is with me. I was born for this time. A time to live.<br />
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In a look-at-me world, I am content to live in the little realm of me where contradictions are often and so is laughter. I'm sitting on a gold mine. Everyone needs the freedom I've found in pursuing happiness. In life. In freedom. If today is the day that my words strike a chord or maybe a million years from now my words will be my day, still I will sing, I will pray, I will tell stories. I'm happy now, but I'm also happy to wait for as long as it takes. Exist, friends. Exist with all your might!<br />
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A quote for your pocket:<br />
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<i>I exist as I am, that is enough, <br />If no other in the world be aware I sit content, <br />And if each and all be aware I sit content.</i> Walt WhitmanMolly/Cecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14754996366796005745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10937707.post-36478411490894164662018-01-07T23:48:00.001-06:002018-01-07T23:48:59.067-06:00Valuable, Precious, Seen<div>
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We live on a lifeboat called Earth. It is a fragile place, and the life on it is even more fragile. Put the name of the most despicable person you can think of in the forefront of your mind. This person is valuable, precious, and seen. Consider his or her point of view. I mean it. Let go of all you and inhabit the skin of someone you don't care for. Empathy, putting aside my truth to listen to your truth. It doesn't just happen. </div>
<br />Here is someone I see in the news a lot: Kim Jong Un, a guy puts his stamp of approval camps 80,000 and 130,000 inmates held for political reasons. It cites evidence of systematic murder, including infanticide, and torture, persecution of Christians, rape, forced abortions, starvation and overwork leading to “countless deaths”. Now, go look up at the staggering loss of life during the Korean War in North Korea. If I had been born in North Korea and learned that one of the richest, most powerful nations on Earth led to the destruction of 30% of the people in my country, I might struggle to forgive. I might feel that nothing I have done is that bad, even if I made people who disagree with me slaves. I can feel empathy for a despot threating to kill me. Empathy does not make the despot right. It makes me merciful. <div>
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All this empathy also makes me pray for chains to be broken in the mind and for captives to be set free. By the way, I am of the firm belief that the universe is created by a being of love who values everything in every crevice of this universe. I am unbendable in the belief. Hence I know that I'm heard. I fight against the hate with my whole soul. Back in 1908, Tolstoy was writing to Gandi:<i> It is natural for men to help and to love one another, but not to torture and to kill one another. </i>These words were written in a time of great turmoil and people were fighting with every breath warning about what was coming - WWI, WWII, etc. I pray for our better natures to rise. </div>
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We need to love, strong love that stands against injustice not with violence, but with kindness. Don't use the hate speech of your enemies. Believe that better days will come. Cry out for leaders who are will to pay the price of love. Currently, the world is heating up with turmoil that I fear will lead to grim self-inflicted adversity planetwide. Let us evolve. If they throw a nuclear weapon at us because they are bullies and hateful, what will be our response? The stakes are very high. Our playground battles have escalated with toys that cause mass destruction. Will we act like children or grown-ups? Join the love team. Blessed are the merciful, for they receive mercy. </div>
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Whoever you are angry at, show mercy today. If a madman leads your nation, remember that insanity is a disease of the mind. The madman needs care and help. Not hate. Not curses. Frame every thought with love. Don't stuff cotton in your ears and act like injustice isn't happening. Call it out in love. Respond with the full force of truth, but truth not bound by love is not truth. Love is not hotheaded. It's not unkind. It doesn't fail. Ever. Make love your life's purpose. </div>
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All are valuable, precious, and seen. ALL. Let us love one another. </div>
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A quote for your pocket...</div>
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<br />Here are the closing words of Tolstoy to Gandi:<br /><br /><i>What are wanted for the Indian as for the Englishman, the Frenchman, the German, and the Russian, are not Constitutions and Revolutions, nor all sorts of Conferences and Congresses, nor the many ingenious devices for submarine navigation and aerial navigation, nor powerful explosives, nor all sorts of conveniences to add to the enjoyment of the rich, ruling classes; nor new schools and universities with innumerable faculties of science, nor an augmentation of papers and books, nor gramophones and cinematographs, nor those childish and for the most part corrupt stupidities termed art — but one thing only is needful: the knowledge of the simple and clear truth which finds place in every soul that is not stupefied by religious and scientific superstitions — the truth that for our life one law is valid — the law of love, which brings the highest happiness to every individual as well as to all mankind. Free your minds from those overgrown, mountainous imbecilities which hinder your recognition of it, and at once the truth will emerge from amid the pseudo-religious nonsense that has been smothering it: the indubitable, eternal truth inherent in man, which is one and the same in all the great religions of the world.</i></div>
Molly/Cecehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14754996366796005745noreply@blogger.com0